BKC Solutions Corner

Absinthe is a strong anise flavor liquor which is made by distilling alcohol with herbs such as aniseed. wormwood and fennel. It is known it is strong and can get you very drunk, but what percentage of alcohol is Absinthe and what is its proof?

Let’s look at the alcohol by volume levels of popular brands of Absinthe:-

La Fee XS Absinthe Francaise 68% abv (136 proof)
Doubs Mystique Carte D’Or 65% alcohol by volume or 130 proof
La Clandestine Absinthe 53% abv (106 proof)
Jade Edouard 72% alcohol by volume (144 proof)
Sebor 55% abv (110 proof)
Jade Nouvelle Orleans 68% alcohol by volume (136 proof)
Mari Mayans Collectors 70 is 70% abv is 140 proof
La Fee Parisian which is 68% alcohol by volume is 136 proof
Lucid Absinthe 62% abv (124 proof)
Jade Verte Suisse 65% abv (130 proof)
Pernod Absinthe which is 68% abv (136 proof)
Kuber 53 is 53% abv or 106 proof
Pere Kermanns 60% abv (120 proof)
Jade PF 1901 68% alcohol by volume (136 proof)
La Fee XS Absinthe Suisse 53% alcohol by volume (106 proof)
Roquette 1797 is 75% abv or 150 proof
La Fee Bohemian 70% alcohol by volume (140 proof)

Let’s now compare Absinthe to other beverages:-

Whisky such as Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch 40% alcohol by volume is 80 proof
Absinthe can be up to 75% alcohol by volume or 150 proof
Table Wine 9-12% alcohol by volume (18-24 proof)
Beer tends to be 4 or 5% alcohol by volume (8-10 proof)

Now, the information on the alcohol.com website has shown that if you have 1 shot of 190 proof Everclear it is equivalent to drinking 2.8five cans of beer and about 3 brandies. This information establishs that one shot of Absinthe is equivalent to two.25 bottles of beer. So, the 22 shots Absinthe is equivalent to 49.five bottles of beer!

As you can see, Absinthe is much stronger than as wine and beer and even whisky. We therefore need to be careful when consuming Absinthe, not because it will make us have hallucinations, or any other psychedelic effects, but because it is strong and intoxicates quickly. We need to take particular care when mixing Absinthe with other alcoholic drinks in cocktails.

Care should also be taken when making your own homemade Absinthe drink. If you buy an Absinthe kit from someone like Green Devil then you are simply steeping herbs in a neutral alcohol such as Everclear or vodka. Everclear has an abv of 95% and a proof of 190 so it is much stronger than commercial Absinthe. In the Absinthekit are Absinthe essences.many are mixed with a neutral alcohol such as Everclear or vodka. Your finished Absinthe will be whatever the proof or abv of the neutral alcohol you have used.

In Absinthe what is the percent? For commercial Absinthe just look on the bottle label or, if you are ordering online, look at the product details for abv or proof. If you are making your own Absinthe from a kit, you need to look at the bottle of Everclear or vodka that you are using.

There is much renewed interest in Absinthe, which is also known as the Greeny Fairy or La Fee Verte. People want to know how to buy it, what type to buy, how to prepare it and what is the amount of Absinthe to use when preparing a drink.

First it is important that you need to buy a quality Absinthe that is rich in essential oils and which contains wormwood. Be sure to buy Absinthes that contains wormwood instead of the many fake or substitute Absinthe that are on sale. Make sure you buy a real Absinthe. If you live in a country where it is hard to find a good quality Absinthe then you could make your own Absinthe using essences from AbsintheKit.com.

When you have your Absinthe, you will need to learn The Ritual or La Louche. This is the traditional French or Swiss way of preparing Absinthe and it uses one shot of Absinthe. The instructions are:-

To perform the Ritual, you will need a lump of sugar, a slotted Absinthe spoon, iced water, and Absinthe glass.

– Pour 25 to 50 ml of Absinthe into a glass.
– Rest the special Absinthe spoon on the rim of the glass and then place a cube of sugar in it.
– Slowly drip iced water over the sugar either by dripping from the tap of the fountain or by using a steady hand to pour from a carafe. Give the sugar a chance to dissolve and drip slowly through the shots of the spoon. You see a lovely “louche” effect as the water mixes into the alcohol. The absinthe louches because the oils of the herbs are solube in alcohol but not in water so therefore makes the mixture cloudy or milky when water is added.
– Sit down, relax and enjoy your Absinthe.

Similar to the Ritual is the Bohemian or Czech Method and is a modern way of preparing cheap Czech Absinthes. The Bohemian method is scorned by Absinthe followers.

Tips and instructions for using the Bohemian method:-

– Pour between 25 – 50 ml of Absinthe into a glass and dip the sugar cube into it and soak the cube.
– Place the Absinthe spoon on the rim of the glass and place the cube of sugar on the spoon.
– To allow the sugar to carmelize and melt, set the sugar cube on fire for one minute. The sugar will drip through the slots of the Absinthe spoon and into the Absinthe.
– Place the spoon into the Absinthe pour the iced water into the Absinthe to put out any flames and to cause the Absinthe to louche.
– Enjoy the drink.

To enjoy your Absinthe then you will want some Absinthiana – Absinthe glasses, spoons, and perhaps an Absinthe fountain to control the flow of the water. Replicas of antique spoons and glasses can be purchased from AbsintheKit.com.

So, what is the recommended amount of Absinthe to use when preparing an Absinthe drink? A US shot or about 45 ml. Obviously, Absinthe can be used in cocktails – search for recipes online.

If you are new to Absinthe, there are so many websites selling Absinthe and Absinthekits that its hard to know where to buy Absinthe online. Absintheliquor.com is probably the best as they also supply the same absinthe essence to the liquor industry from their industrial site distillery-yeast.com.

Absinthe is a strong alcoholic beverage with an anise taste. Henri-Louise Pernod’s original Absinthe was made with a base of wine alcohol and flavored with herbs such as grande wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), aniseed and fennel. Absinthe which is distilled at high proof and is very strong, it is served with iced water to dilute it. It is approximately twice as strong as other spirits such as vodka and whisky.

Absinthe contains the herb wormwood that gives the drink its bitter taste. The chemical thujone is in wormwood which caused it to be banned in the early 1900s. It was thought that thujone was psychoactive and harmful to health. Studies have now shown that Absinthe only contains trace amounts of thujone and is not harmful.

Absinthe is enjoyed by using a preparation method called The Ritual. A shot of Absinthe in aglass is diluted with ice water dripped over a cube of sugar on an Absinthe spoon. The water gradually mixes into the alcohol causing the drink to louche and become cloudy. Only top-quality Absinthe containing real herbs and oils will louche properly.

Where to find Absinthe online – real Absinthe

To enjoy Absinthe properly you need to order a quality Absinthe which is made by a reputable distillery. Absinthe which contains wormwood. Most websites will give you details about alcohol by volume (or proof) and thujone content. For example there is Absinth24.net says that Absinthe La Clandestine has an abv of 53% and has less than 30mg of thujone. Thedrinkshop.com, a UK based company gives very good product descriptions of the Absinthe available to order on their web shop and also has product reviews.

To ensure you use good quality Absinthe is to just make your own. Home distillation is illegal in many countries unless you have a license and Absinthe just is not real without the distillation process. But then again, AbsintheKit.c makes real wormwood Absinthe essences distilled using carbon dioxide distillation. They contain natural, traditional herbs, the same essences that AbsintheKit sell to the Absinthe industry. They are already distilled so you only need to mix 20 ml of essence with 730 ml of vodka or Everclear. That’s it and it is very easy.

There are essences in 4 different varieties:-

Absinthe Classic Essence – The essence which makes a classic Absinthe with thujone content of 35 mg.

Absinthe White Essence – This essence is used to make a clear Absinthe. This essence makes an Absinthe with a 35 mg thujone content.

Absinthe Orange Essence – Essence flavored with natural orange oil which makes a yellowy orange Absinthe with a thujone content of 35 mg.

Absinthe 55 Strong Essence – Essence which produces a darker green Absinthe which has a stronger wormwood flavor. The content of thujone will be 55mg.

Essences are available in two sizes depending on the number of bottles of Absinthe you which to make. An AbsintheKits contain a 280 ml bottle of essence, a plastic measure and artistic bottle labels.

It is important to know where to buy quality Absinthe online so that your get Absinthe that tastes right and that louches. Search for reputable companies selling award winning brands or make you own from essences.

Custom bottled water is available as an advertising or marketing device on many websites on the internet.  Basically, it is bottled natural spring water with your companies logo or trade mark on the custom make labels.

Natural Spring Water is water that flows naturally to the surface from a spring source without the need to drill or use pumps. Spring Water retains all of its minerals. Bottling at the source eliminates the need to use chemicals required to prevent contamination if the water were to be transported to an alternate site for bottling.

Get straight to your body’s hydration needs with the very elements of good health and vitality. Forget the salt, sugar, flavors and various impurities and toxins found in most waters. We’re talking about straight up H2O. Period.

The human body is almost 70% water. Water supports every function of your body in a big way, from temperature regulation to dissolving and flushing out toxins and impurities. Nothing can cleanse and quench your body like pure, distilled water. It is the most vital fluid you can drink (and Element H2O is oxygenated, which gives its exceptional flavor and clean, crisp taste).

Many ailments and unhealthy conditions have been related to various forms of mineral accumulation in the body, from kidney failure to arthritis. It has been shown that distilled water actually removes these minerals from the body by dissolving them, instead of introducing more impurities like “Hard Water” and water from other impure sources.

The first 2 pages of a Google search on custom bottled water, has websites for water coming from any pure spring in our country, each claiming to be the purest and best tasting.  They offer different deals on the custom labels also.

This seems to be the newest and most popular way to get your brand, and logo out before the public.  Just when you thought there were no more clever, creative and affordable ways to get your name, logo, theme or message in the hands of your customers, prospects and constituents, along comes Custom Labeled Bottled Water. Go ahead, look around – how many people do you see carrying their own bottle of water. A number of isn’t it? Now a days all of us know the benefits of drinking enough water, so think about all the creative ways you can tap this army of walking billboards.  A large assortment of calorie free flavors to flavor sparkling water to great taste is sold at http://allfreightfree.com.

I discovered the most unique form of branding that: Give your special day a mark of distinction by your personal and own brand of bottled water for your guests. The added touch of personalized bottled water on your wedding day lends a certain cachet to an already auspicious event. By your attention to the details you can leave a mark on your guests. Choose from our designer wedding labels and personalize with a message of your own. Perfect for weddings, cocktail receptions, engagement parties and outdoor wedding festivities.”

I guess you could even use this way to announce the birth of your first son – private label bottled water named after the baby.  I am certain if I set here long enough, I can think of a million more or funnier but I believe you get the idea from the above.  So goes the marketing of custom bottled water.

Are you one of those people who think barbequeing is only for the Summer? Outdoor grilling isn’t just a Summer time activity. Maybe you don’t wear white after Labor Day, but you better break out the grill and smoker because you can server up mouth watering food during Spring

Spring offer backyard grillers some of the most favorable weather to try out their favorite bbq recipes. Insects are at a minimum and the heat off the grill will not help cook your bones along with the hot Summer sun! Spring is a relaxing time where you can really enjoy the art of grilling.

Any food you grill during the Summer only gets better in the Spring. It’s also the perfect time to try your hand at grilling Wild Game. Many hunters have some meat in the freezer from Fall hunts plus there are a lot of grocers now carrying Wild Game. Keep in mind that most Wild Game has less fat than beef, chicken or pork so it will need special attention. Mainly, that you should cook it slower and be sure not to overcook it. It should have a warm pink center.

There are a few things you will need to keep in mind before heading out in the Spring to bbq. For starters, always carefully rais the hood and check inside. Wasp, bees and other varmits may be calling your grill home now so be careful the first time you use your grill.

Electric smokers and gas grills may require an insulative blanket on cool days. This is especially true for electric smokers. Chilly Spring winds can quickly sap all the heat from an electric smoker and cause the internal temperature to fall below safe levels. Most electric smoker dealers carry these special blankets. Make sure what ever you use to wrap your smoker or grill, that it’s fire proof. It can be easy to set anything else on fire so be careful.

Be mindful of where you’re grill is located at. Make sure there’s not old dead winter grass around your grill. This can go up like a Roman candle from the smallest of sparks, especially if there is a wind to help it out. Always keep these areas mowed and if in doubt, hose down the area around your grill and smoker.

Now’s the time to get out your grill, clean it up and start using it. Keep them out and use them on a regular basis and enjoy the tasty treats your bbq will serve up. Try cooking your Holiday meals out on the grill. Nothing says lovin’ like fresh smoked Ham or grilled Turkey for those Holiday dinners! It’s also an excellent time to get out and try your favorite baby back rib recipes.